Beef prices help local trade
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Editor,
Over the past few days, there have been several articles in the weekly and daily papers reporting how Montana’s livestock producers are receiving record-high prices for their animals. That may be true, but there is another side of the story.
We all know that costs keep going up. That is part of life. Just look at the cost of gasoline. Livestock producers face the same issue as the rest of us. Their production costs rise every year, while the prices they receive for their product fluctuate due to supply numbers and other market forces, such as the drought in Texas. In lean years, these producers cut back on equipment purchases, weed control, labor expenses and general maintenance costs of running a livestock operation. In better years, such as now, these same business operators buy new equipment, catch up on their weed control program, repair their fences, hire more help, increase their business infrastructure maintenance and reduce debt. The majority of this money is spent in the local trade area.
We should all be thankful that livestock prices have caught up with inflation. A healthy livestock industry in Montana is good for all of us. It provides a choice of food products as well as the open space that we all value so much. The next time you shop for groceries, say a word of thanks to the rancher and farmer. They take enormous risks to remain in business and continue to be good neighbors.
Chuck Jarecki
Polson
